Title

Protecting Access to Primary Care Act

Official Title

To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to extend the temporary Medicare payment rate floor for primary care services of primary care physicians to nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes.

Summary

Protecting Access to Primary Care Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives payment for primary care services furnished in 2013 and 2014 at a rate not less than 100% of the Medicare payment rate applicable to physician for such services.

Non-physician providers do not do the same work as physicians. The education and training of physicians is longer and much deeper. Physicians thought process is different. Non-physician providers are not equipped to handle complex patient care situations. To say they do the same work as a physician is like saying a paralegal does the same work as an attorney